Eric Jon Mahlum (from left), Rob Tucker and Andrew M. McMath in Milwaukee Repertory Theater's production of "I Left My Heart: A Salute To The Music Of Tony Bennett."

If you attend "I Left My Heart," the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's season-opening Tony Bennett revue, you won't hear a word about the man who helped liberate a concentrate camp, marched with Martin Luther King Jr. at Selma and became an outspoken opponent of the American invasion of Iraq. Nor will you hear about Bennett's two divorces or former drug addiction.

As the subtitle to the Rep's revue indicates, what co-writers David Grapes and Todd Olson (who also directs) have created is a "salute to the music of Tony Bennett," with an emphasis on the music. | Aug. 26, 2013»Read Full Article(1)

Recalling young actor Seth Horne from past First Stage shows, what stands out is a seemingly incorruptible innocence, inscribed in a sensitive, open face that reflects an unabashed enthusiasm for life. In a memorable show like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," for example, Horne's projection of Charlie's fundamental, rock-solid goodness stood in stark contrast to the bratty kids accompanying Charlie on tour.

But kids grow up, often losing their sense of magic along the way; many of them become bullies. In the First Stage production of "Crash," that's the rocky road being traveled by seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan — convincingly played by Horne, in the Defense Cast of alternating young actors I saw Saturday night. | March 30, 2014»Read Full Article